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7 Conversion Optimization Stats to Guide Your 2015 Strategy

If you want to figure out your conversion rate optimization (CRO) strategy for 2015, one of the best places to start is with CRO data from 2014. It’s a good way to discover what worked and what needs tweaking for the new year.

Luckily, you don’t have far to look. Conversioner has collected some of the best conversion optimization statistics around in a single infographic which is reproduced below. It covers:

marketers’ actions

customer spending

conversion by traffic and devices

the mobile market

social marketing

video conversions

among other topics

Here’s a roundup of some of the key points, along with links to resources that will help you to take the next step.

1. Tweak Your Website for Conversions

Ever think that web optimization is pure guesswork? You’re not alone. Believe it or not, 63% of marketers optimize sites based on intuition and best practices.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think intuition alone is enough. It may help you figure out what to test, but best practices based on experience and case studies have got to be a better bet. Am I wrong? Check out our guide to website optimization best practices to prep your site for better conversions in 2015.

2. Use A/B Testing

Testing, testing—I’m a big fan of trial and (hopefully not too much) error. That’s where A/B testing is important and it’s something the Crazy Egg blog showcases a lot.

According to the infographic, the top five Internet retailers have caught on to its importance, with 75% of them using it. And even that’s not enough, as 61% plan to increase their use of split testing by the end of 2015. You’re probably already testing, but if you need some more help, check out these two articles:

3. Optimize Your Shopping Cart

Shopping cart abandonment is a major problem for retailers (I know I’ve left my share of shopping carts behind) yet 73% of companies have no idea why it happens, which I personally found surprising.

Luckily for the retailers, the infographic gives some insight, illustrating that for 11% of US adults, being asked to register and too many information requests are a huge turn-off. If you want to learn more about why people abandon shopping carts and how to stop them from leaving, check out CrazyEgg’s definitive guide to shopping cart abandonment.

4. Use Social Proof

You’re probably tired of hearing about the importance of social proof, but it’s huge. People want to know that others like and recommend products before they buy, and 84% of online shoppers use at least one social media site to get recommendations before making a purchase online.

In other words, make sure your site includes social proof to boost conversions. Here are a couple of articles to help with this:

5. Market with Email

Email marketing is so not dead. In fact, it’s one of the most successful conversion optimization tactics there is. The statistics show that email marketing has a 3.31% conversion rate, which far outstrips conversions from search, social and advertising.

That tells me that 2015 is the year to get your email marketing strategy on track. I’ll be doing that in my business, with the help of these useful articles:

6. Market to Mobile Users

The mobile market is huge, so this is the year to nail it. Last year online shoppers spent 521 billion minutes on smartphones and 143 billion minutes on tablets. Together, that’s 100+ billion minutes more than the time spent on desktops.

Of course, you can’t ignore PCs, which still generate the most valuable orders. That’s why a mobile first, cross-platform approach could be your best strategy in 2015. While you’re at it, make sure your mobile shopping experience includes clear product images, accessible product information and easy checkout processes, as these are some of the main annoyances for mobile device users. Here’s some information to help you:

7. Put Your Marketing on Video

Video is hugely influential in purchases, making video marketing a key strategy for 2015. A quarter of Americans watch online video every day, and 73% are more likely to buy something after watching a video. Video results earn more clicks when they appear in search results, with a 41% higher clickthrough rate than plain entries.

And here’s something to think about. According to the infographic, by 2018 75% of web traffic will be based on video. If you want make this strategy work, it’s time to start now. Here are a couple of useful guides to help you:

DON’T MISS OUT

Sharon Hurley Hall is a professional freelance writer and blogger. Her career has spanned more than 20 years, including stints as a journalist, academic writer, university lecturer and ghost writer. Connect with Sharon on her website.

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